U.S. patent application number 10/975864 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-04 for preventing shutter-rebound in camera.
This patent application is currently assigned to Eastman Kodak Company. Invention is credited to Wayne E. Stiehler.
Application Number | 20060093349 10/975864 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36262040 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060093349 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stiehler; Wayne E. |
May 4, 2006 |
Preventing shutter-rebound in camera
Abstract
A normally closed shutter in a camera has at least one blade
that is moved to open and close the shutter. A movable blade-driver
in the camera has a supporting connection with a fixed support to
support the blade-driver for movement, and has a driving connection
with the shutter to drive at least the one blade to open and close
the shutter when the driver is moved. A fixed blocking ramp in the
way of the blade-driver stops the blade-driver once the
blade-driver has moved to drive at least the one blade to close the
shutter. The fixed ramp is inclined to urge or cam the blade-driver
to create a high friction-type force at the supporting connection
that impedes movement of the blade-driver to drive at least the one
blade to re-open the shutter, whereby the shutter is prevented from
being reopened unintentionally.
Inventors: |
Stiehler; Wayne E.;
(Spencerport, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mark G. Bocchetti;Patent Legal Staff
Eastman Kodak Company
343 State Street
Rochester
NY
14650-2201
US
|
Assignee: |
Eastman Kodak Company
|
Family ID: |
36262040 |
Appl. No.: |
10/975864 |
Filed: |
October 28, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
396/453 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 9/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
396/453 |
International
Class: |
G03B 9/08 20060101
G03B009/08 |
Claims
1. A camera comprising: a normally closed shutter having at least
one blade that is moved to open and close said shutter; a movable
driver having a supporting connection with a fixed object to
support said driver to move, and having a driving connection with
said shutter that drives at least said one blade to open and close
said shutter when said driver is moved; and a fixed stop for said
driver having a blocking face in the way of said driver to stop
said driver once said driver has moved to drive at least said one
blade to close said shutter, and being oriented to urge said driver
to create a friction-type force at said supporting connection that
impedes said driver to move to drive at least said one blade to
re-open said shutter, whereby said shutter is prevented from being
reopened unintentionally.
2. A camera as recited in claim 1 wherein said driving connection
is a post-in-slot connection that includes a drive post on said
driver protruding through a drive slot in said one blade to drive
said one blade when said driver is moved, and said supporting
connection is a post-in-slot connection that includes said drive
post protruding from said drive slot in said one blade and into a
movement-support slot in a fixed object in order to support said
drive post to move along said movement-support slot to move said
driver to drive said one blade.
3. A camera as recited in claim 2 wherein said movement-support
slot is a straight one to support said drive post to translate
along said movement-support slot in order that said driver is
translated to drive said one blade.
4. A camera as recited in claim 3 wherein a fixed pivot-support
post projects into a pivot hole in said one blade to support said
one blade to swing about said pivot-support post when said driver
is translated to drive said one blade.
5. A camera as recited in claim 1 wherein said blocking face is a
ramp face inclined at an acute angle of 9.degree. to
15.degree..
6. A camera as recited in claim 5 wherein said driver has a
follower face that is oriented parallel to said ramp face to be
moved against said ramp face to stop said driver and permit said
ramp face to urge said driver to create the friction-type force at
said supporting connection.
7. A camera comprising: a normally closed shutter having at least
one blade that is moved to open and close said shutter; a blade
driver having a post that protrudes into a fixed support slot to
support said driver for movement to drive at least said one blade
to open and close said shutter, by moving said post along said
slot; and a fixed ramp face oriented to abut said driver once said
driver has moved to drive at least said one blade to close said
shutter, and oriented to urge said driver to create a friction-type
relation between said post and a peripheral edge of said fixed
support slot to impede movement of said driver to drive at least
said one blade to re-open said shutter, whereby said shutter is
prevented from being reopened unintentionally.
8. A camera as recited in claim 7 wherein said post is coupled with
at least said one blade to drive at least said one blade to open
and close said shutter.
9. A camera as recited in claim 7 wherein the friction-type
relation between said post and said peripheral edge of said fixed
support slot is created by said fixed ramp face urging said driver
to shift said post firmly against said peripheral edge.
10. A camera comprising: a normally closed dual-blade
center-opening shutter having a pair of blades that are moved away
from one another to open said shutter and towards one another to
close said shutter; a movable driver having a supporting connection
with a fixed object to support said driver to translate forward and
rearward, and having a driving connection with said blades that
drives said blades to open said shutter when said driver is
translated forward and that drives said blades to close said
shutter when said driver is translated rearward; and a fixed
blocking face oriented to abut said driver to stop said driver once
said driver has translated rearward to drive said blades to close
said shutter, and oriented to urge said driver to create a
friction-type force at said supporting connection that impedes said
driver to translate forward to drive said blades to reopen said
shutter, whereby said shutter is prevented from being reopened
unintentionally.
11. A camera as recited in claim 10 wherein said fixed blocking
face is a flat ramp face that is inclined to tend to urge said
driver to create the friction-type force at said supporting
connection that impedes said driver to translate forward to drive
said blades to reopen said shutter.
12. A camera as recited in claim 11 wherein said driver has a flat
follower face that is oriented parallel to said flat ramp face to
be moved against said flat ramp face to stop said driver and permit
said flat ramp face to tend to urge said driver to create the
friction-type force at said supporting connection that impedes said
driver to translate forward to drive said blades to reopen said
shutter.
13. A camera as recited in claim 10 wherein said driving connection
is a posts-in-slots connection that includes respective drive posts
on said drivers protruding through drive slots in said blades to
drive said blades when said driver is translated forward and
rearward, and said supporting connection is a posts-in-slots
connection that includes said drive posts protruding from said
drive slots in said blades and into respective translation-support
slots in a fixed object in order to support said drive posts to
translate along said translation-support slots in said fixed object
to translate said driver to drive said blades.
14. a camera as recited in claim 13 wherein said fixed object is a
face plate that partially covers said blades.
15. A method of preventing shutter-bounce in a camera of the kind
including a normally closed shutter having at least one blade that
is moved to open and close the shutter, and a blade driver having a
supporting connection with a fixed object to support the blade
driver to move and a driving connection with the shutter that
drives at least the one blade to open and close the shutter when
the blade driver is moved, said method comprising: moving the blade
driver against a fixed ramp face once the blade driver has moved to
drive at least the one blade to close the shutter; and moving the
blade driver on the fixed ramp face to urge the blade driver to
create a friction-type force at the supporting connection that
impedes the blade driver to move to drive at least the one blade to
re-open the shutter.
16. A method of preventing shutter-bounce in a camera of the kind
including a normally closed shutter having at least one blade that
is moved to open and close the shutter, said method comprising:
moving a blade-drive post coupled with at least the one blade along
a fixed support slot to move at least the one blade open and
closed; and creating a friction-type relation between the
blade-drive post and a peripheral edge of the fixed support slot to
impede the blade-drive post from moving along the slot to move at
least the one blade to reopen the shutter, whereby shutter-bounce
is prevented.
17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the friction-type
relation between the blade-drive post and the peripheral edge of
the fixed support post is created by urging the blade-drive post
firmly against the peripheral edge.
18. A method of preventing shutter-bounce in a camera of the kind
including a normally closed shutter having at least one blade that
is moved to open and close the shutter, and a blade driver having a
post that protrudes into a fixed support slot to movably support
the driver to drive at least the one blade to open and close the
shutter, said method comprising: moving the blade driver against a
fixed ramp face once the blade driver has moved to drive at least
the one blade to close the shutter; and moving the blade driver on
the fixed ramp face to urge the blade driver to create a
friction-type relation between the post and a peripheral edge of
the fixed support slot to impede movement of the blade driver to
drive at least the one blade to reopen the shutter.
19. A camera capable of preventing shutter-bounce involving a
normally closed shutter having at least one blade that is moved to
open and close said shutter, said camera comprising: means for
moving a blade-drive post coupled with at least said one blade
along a fixed support slot, for said blade-drive post to move at
least said one blade open and closed; and friction creating means
for creating a friction-type relation between said blade-drive post
and a peripheral edge of said fixed support slot to impede said
blade-drive post from moving along said slot to move at least said
one blade to reopen said shutter, whereby shutter-bounce is
prevented.
20. A camera as recited in claim 19 wherein said friction creating
means creates the friction-type relation between said blade-drive
post and said peripheral edge of said fixed support post by urging
said blade-drive post firmly against said peripheral edge.
21. A camera as recited in claim 19 wherein said friction creating
means creates the friction-type relation between said blade-drive
post and said peripheral edge of said fixed support post once said
blade-drive post has moved along said fixed support slot to move at
least said one blade to reopen said shutter.
22. A camera capable of preventing shutter-bounce involving a
normally closed shutter having at least one blade that is moved to
open and close said shutter, said camera comprising: a blade-driver
for moving a blade-drive post, connecting said blade-driver and at
least said one blade, along a fixed support slot to move at least
said one blade open and closed; and a friction creating ramp for
creating a friction-type relation between said blade-drive post and
a peripheral edge of said fixed support slot to impede said
blade-drive post from moving along said slot to move at least said
one blade to reopen said shutter, whereby shutter-bounce is
prevented.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending
application Ser. No. ______ (Docket No. 86110RLW), filed Oct. 25,
2004, entitled SYNCHRONIZING SHUTTER AND FLASH IN CAMERA, in the
name of Wayne E. Stiehler.
[0002] Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending
application Ser. No. ______ (Docket No. 86111RLW), filed Oct. 25,
2004, entitled DRIVER FOR OPENING AND CLOSING DUAL-BLADE SHUTTER
ADAPTED TO BE RESET WITHOUT RE-OPENING SHUTTER, in the name(s) of
Robert Gordon Hills, Michael L. Wirt, and Wayne E. Stiehler.
[0003] Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending
application Ser. No. ______ (Docket No. 86114RLW), filed
concurrently herewith, entitled SHUTTER-OPENING/CLOSING AND
SHUTTER-FLASH SYNCHRONIZATION DRIVER FOR DUAL-BLADE SHUTTER IN
CAMERA, in the name of Wayne E. Stiehler.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention relates generally to the field of photography
and in particular to single-blade and multi-blade shutters in
cameras. More specifically, the invention relates to preventing
undesirable shutter-rebound or shutter-bounce in a camera that can
cause unintended shutter-reopening to re-expose an exposed film
frame.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Practically every film camera available today has a
single-blade or multi-blade shutter. Generally speaking, the
shutter opens to uncover an exposure aperture in order to permit
ambient light reflected from a subject being photographed to reach
a film frame behind the exposure aperture. Then, the shutter closes
to recover the exposure aperture in order to end the exposure
interval.
Single-Blade Shutters
[0006] Typically, inexpensive cameras such as disposable single-use
or one-time-use cameras have a single-blade shutter. The shutter
blade pivots open and closed to uncover and recover the exposure
aperture. To take a picture as in Patent Application Publication
U.S. 2003/0118331 A1 published Jun. 26, 2003, a shutter release
button is manually depressed. This unlatches a high energy lever
which is pivoted via a high energy spring to impact against
(strike) a strike tab upstanding on the shutter blade. The shutter
blade in turn is pivoted open to uncover the exposure aperture.
Then, once the high energy lever is pivoted beyond the strike tab,
a return spring pivots the shutter blade closed to re-cover the
exposure aperture.
Dual-Blade Center-Opening Shutters
[0007] More complex than a single-blade shutter is a dual-blade
center-opening shutter. A dual-blade center-opening shutter is one
in which a pair of blades pivot open in opposite directions away
from one other to uncover the exposure aperture and return to an
overlapping closed relation to re-cover the exposure aperture. As
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,324 issued Aug. 4, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. No.
5,258,797 issued Nov. 2, 1993, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,995 issued
Feb. 24, 1998, individual fixed pivot-support posts project into
respective pivot holes in the two blades, and a rotatable or
pivotable shutter driver for opening and closing the two blades
projects into respective overlapping slots in the two blades.
Pivoting of the shutter driver in one direction within the
overlapping slots pivots the two blades about the pivot-support
posts to open, and pivoting of the shutter driver in an opposite
direction within the overlapping slots pivots the two blades about
the pivot-support posts to close.
The Problem of Shutter-Rebounding
[0008] A shutter-rebound or shutter-bounce phenomenon can occur
when closing the single-blade or dual-blade shutter. For example,
during closing one or more of the blades may rebound or bounce off
a fixed stop with sufficient force to partially reopen the shutter.
Partially reopening the shutter can re-expose the last-exposed film
frame.
[0009] Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,502 B2 issued Apr. 29, 2003
purports to prevent shutter-rebound in a dual-blade center-opening
shutter by adding a fixed inclined surface in the closing region of
the blades. During shutter-closing, the speed of movement of the
blades is reduced by the frictional drag of the inclined surface to
prevent shutter-rebound.
The Cross-Referenced Application
[0010] The cross-referenced application discloses a camera that has
a single-piece shutter-opening/closing and shutter-flash
synchronization driver that translates in one direction to pivot a
pair of shutter blades away from one another and simultaneously
push a movable switch contact of a normally open shutter-flash
synchronization switch to close the switch. Then, the movable
switch contact is spring-urged to move the switch contact to reopen
the shutter-flash synchronization switch and push the single-piece
driver in a reverse direction to move the blades towards one
another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to one aspect of the invention a camera
comprises:
[0012] a normally closed shutter having at least one blade that is
moved to open and close the shutter;
[0013] a movable driver having a supporting connection with a fixed
object to support the driver to move, and having a driving
connection with the shutter that drives at least the one blade to
open and close the shutter when the driver is moved; and
[0014] a fixed stop for the driver having a blocking face in the
way of the driver to stop the driver once the driver has moved to
drive at least the one blade to close the shutter, and being
oriented to urge the driver to create a friction-type force at the
supporting connection that impedes the driver to move to drive at
least the one blade to re-open the shutter, whereby the shutter is
prevented from being reopened unintentionally.
[0015] According to another aspect of the invention camera capable
of preventing shutter-bounce involving a normally closed shutter
having at least one blade that is moved to open and close said
shutter, comprises:
[0016] means for moving a blade-drive post coupled with at least
said one blade along a fixed support slot to move at least said one
blade open and closed; and
[0017] means for creating a friction-type relation between said
blade-drive post and a peripheral edge of said fixed support slot
to impede said blade-drive post from moving along said slot to move
at least said one blade to reopen said shutter, whereby
shutter-bounce is prevented.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a flash camera
including a shutter-opening/closing and shutter-flash
synchronization driver for a dual-blade center-opening shutter and
a shutter-flash synchronization switch, and a fixed ramp for
preventing shutter-rebound or shutter-bounce according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the driver, the
dual-blade shutter, and the shutter-flash synchronization
switch;
[0020] FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of the driver, the
dual-blade shutter, and the shutter-flash synchronization switch
depicted in FIG. 2, showing the shutter closed and the switch
open;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view similar to FIG. 3;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 3
[0023] FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of the driver, the
dual-blade shutter, and the shutter-flash synchronization switch
depicted in FIG. 2, showing the shutter open and the switch
closed
[0024] FIG. 7 is a front elevation view similar to FIG. 6;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 6
[0026] FIG. 9 is an assembled perspective view of the flash camera
depicted in FIG. 1, showing the shutter open and the switch closed;
and
[0027] FIG. 10 is an assembled perspective view of the flash camera
depicted in FIG. 1, showing the shutter closed and the switch open,
and the fixed ramp preventing shutter-rebound or
shutter-bounce.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] The invention is disclosed as preferably being embodied in a
one-time-use flash camera. Since the elements of a one-time-use
flash camera are generally known, the description which follows is
directed mostly to those elements forming part of or cooperating
with the invention. It is understood that those elements not
disclosed may take various forms known to persons of ordinary skill
in the camera arts.
[0029] Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1,
9 and 10, there is shown a partially depicted one-time-use camera
10 including a main body part 12, an electronic flash 14, a
dual-blade center-opening shutter 16, a normally shutter-flash
synchronization switch 18 that is closed to synchronize
shutter-opening and flash-firing, an L-shaped driver or slider 20
for opening an closing the dual-blade shutter and for closing the
shutter-flash synchronization switch, and a face plate 22.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1, 9 and 10, a fixed round pivot-support
post 24 on the main body part 12 projects forward into a round
pivot hole 26 in a first shutter blade 28 of the dual-blade
center-opening shutter 16, and a fixed round pivot-support post 30
on the main body part projects forward into a round pivot hole 32
in a second shutter blade 34 of the dual-blade shutter. The first
and second shutter blades 28 and 38 are thin, and are plastic to be
electrically non-conductive. The pivot-support posts 24 and 30
support the first and second shutter blades 28 and 34 for opening
(parallel-axis) movement away from one another, i.e. clockwise and
counter clockwise about the pivot-support posts in FIGS. 6, 7 and
10, to uncover a rectangular exposure aperture 36 in the main body
part 12. Also, the pivot-support posts 24 and 30 support the first
and second blades 28 and 34 for return or reverse closing
(parallel-axis) movement towards one another, i.e. counterclockwise
and clockwise about the pivot-support posts in FIGS. 3, 4 and 9, to
recover the exposure aperture 36.
[0031] When the first and second blades 28 and 34 of the dual-blade
center-opening shutter 16 are moved away from one another to
uncover the exposure aperture 36, they form a substantially
rectangular center-opening 38 over the exposure aperture. As shown
in FIGS. 6 and 7, the center-opening 38 has a center-point 40 that
is aligned with a center-line 42 of the exposure aperture 36. As is
known in the prior art, the center-line 42 of the exposure aperture
36 is coincident with an optical axis of a picture-taking lens (not
shown). The pivot-support posts 24 and 30 are arranged relative one
another and the center-point 40 so that, if a diagonal
straight-line 44 is drawn through two opposite corners 46 and 48 of
the center-opening 38, the diagonal straight-line would intersect
the center-point and the pivot-support posts. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the
corners 46 and 48 are located upper-right and lower-left.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1, 9 and 10, the electronic flash 14 has a
flash circuit board 50 for flash-firing when the shutter-flash
synchronization switch 18 is closed. The shutter-flash
synchronization switch 18 is part of a flash-firing circuit on the
flash circuit board 50 and includes a leaf-spring positive switch
contact 52 and a movable negative switch contact 54. A fixed round
pivot-support post 56 on the main body part 12 projects upward into
a round pivot hole 58 in the movable switch contact 54 to support
the movable switch contact for pivotable movement, i.e.
counterclockwise about the pivot-support post in FIGS. 6-8 and 9,
against the leaf-spring switch contact 52 to close the
shutter-flash synchronization switch 18, and for return or reverse
pivotable movement, i.e. clockwise about the pivot-support post in
FIGS. 3-5 and 10, away from the leaf-spring switch contact to
reopen the shutter-flash synchronization switch. A metal
helical-tension return spring 60 has opposite ends conductively
interconnecting the movable switch contact 54 and a fixed thin
metal strip 62 mounted on the main body part 12. The return spring
60 urges or biases the movable switch contact 54 away from the
leaf-spring switch contact 52 to separate the movable switch
contact from the leaf-spring switch contact. The metal strip 62 has
one end 64 that protrudes into a battery chamber 66 in the main
body part 12 to serve as a negative battery contact. A helical
compression spring 68 conductively connected to the flash circuit
board 50 protrudes into the battery chamber 66 to serve as a
positive battery contact.
[0033] The L-shaped driver or slider 20 for opening and closing the
dual-blade shutter 16 and for closing the shutter-flash
synchronization switch 18 is a single-piece plastic construction
and has a pair of substantially right-angle horizontal and vertical
driver legs 70 and 72 that essential provide the L-shape. As shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2, the horizontal driver leg 70 has a fixed round
blade-drive post 74 that protrudes forward through a elongate drive
slot 76 in the first shutter blade 28 and into a straight
translation-support slot 78 in the face plate 22, and the vertical
driver leg 72 has a fixed round blade-drive post 80 that protrudes
forward through an elongate drive slot 82 in the second shutter
blade 34 and into a straight translation-support slot 84 in the
face plate. The translation-support slots 78 and 84 in the face
plate 22 support the L-shaped driver 20 for translation to advance
the L-shaped driver in a single forward direction 86, to cause the
blade-drive posts 74 and 80 to pivot the first and second shutter
blades 28 and 34 away from one another, i.e. clockwise and counter
clockwise about the pivot-support posts 24 and 30 in FIGS. 6, 7 and
10, to uncover the exposure aperture 36. Also, the translation
support slots 78 and 84 support the L-shaped driver 20 for
translation to return the L-shaped driver in a single reverse
direction 88, to cause the blade-drive posts 74 and 80 to pivot the
first and second shutter blades 28 and 34 towards one another, i.e.
counterclockwise and clockwise about the pivot-support posts in
FIGS. 3, 4 and 9, to recover the exposure aperture 36. Thus, the
blade-drive post 74 in the drive slot 76 and the blade-drive post
80 in the drive slot 82 are post-in-slot driving connections, and
the blade-drive post 74 in the translation-support slot 78 and the
blade-drive post 80 in the in the translation-support slot 84 are
post-in-slot supporting connections.
[0034] When the L-shaped driver 20 is translated in the single
forward direction 86, an upstanding switch drive finger 90 on the
horizontal driver leg 70 pushes against the movable switch contact
54 (in opposition to the urging of the return spring 60) to pivot
the movable switch contact, i.e. counterclockwise about the
pivot-support post 56 in FIGS. 6-9, against the leaf-spring switch
contact 52 to close the shutter-flash synchronization switch 18.
The shutter-flash synchronization switch 18 is closed at the same
time that the blade-drive posts 74 and 80 pivot the first and
second shutter blades 28 and 34 away from one another to uncover
the exposure aperture 36.
[0035] Since the return spring 60 urges or biases the movable
switch contact 54 to pivot away from the leaf-spring switch contact
52, i.e. clockwise about the pivot-support post 56 in FIGS. 3-5 and
10, to re-close the shutter-flash synchronization switch 18, the
return spring pulls the movable switch contact continuously against
the switch drive finger 90. This allows the movable switch contact
54, will be described below, to push against the switch drive
finger 90 in order for the movable switch contact to translate the
L-shaped driver 20 in the single reverse direction 88, to cause the
blade-drive posts 74 and 80 to pivot the first and second shutter
blades 28 and 34 towards one another to recover the exposure
aperture 36.
[0036] The face plate 22 is mounted on the main body part 12 and
has a rectangular plate opening 92 that is aligned with the
exposure aperture 36. As depicted in FIG. 1, the face plate 22
partially covers the first and second shutter blades 28 and 34.
Shutter-Opening/Closing and Shutter-Flash Synchronization
[0037] A fixed round pivot-support post 94 on the main body part 10
projects upward from the main body part 12 in FIG. 1, through a
center-coil opening 96 in a high energy spring 98 and into a round
pivot hole 100 in a high energy lever 102 in FIG. 2. A horizontal
spring leg 104 of the high energy spring 98 urges the high energy
lever 102 to pivot or swing counterclockwise about the
pivot-support post 94 as in FIGS. 6-9. As is known in the prior
art, the high energy lever 102 is normally latched in place in an
initial or home position shown in FIGS. 3-5 and 10.
[0038] To make an exposure on film, a shutter release button (not
shown) is manually depressed to unlatch the high-energy lever 102
as is known in the prior art. The high energy lever 102 is then
pivoted counterclockwise about the pivot-support post 94 in FIGS.
6-9, via the horizontal spring leg 104 of the high energy spring
98. A striker finger 106 on the high energy lever 102 swiftly
impacts against (strikes) a strike tab 108 on a resilient
cantilever beam 110 extending from the horizontal driver leg 70 of
the L-shaped driver 20, to quickly translate the L-shaped driver in
the single forward direction 86. As a result, the L-shaped driver
is advanced to cause the blade-drive posts 74 and 80 to pivot the
first and second shutter blades 28 and 34 away from one another,
i.e. clockwise and counter clockwise about the pivot-support posts
24 and 30 in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10, to uncover the exposure aperture
36, and to cause the upstanding switch drive finger 90 on the
horizontal driver leg 70 to push the movable switch contact 54 (in
opposition to the urging of the return spring 60) to pivot the
movable switch contact, i.e. counterclockwise about the
pivot-support post 56 in FIGS. 6-9, against the leaf-spring switch
contact 52 to close the shutter-flash synchronization switch 18.
The shutter-flash synchronization switch 18 is closed at the same
time that the blade-drive posts 74 and 80 pivot the first and
second shutter blades 28 and 34 away from one another to uncover
the exposure aperture 36.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 6-8, after the striker finger 106 on the
high energy lever 102 strikes the strike tab 108 on the resilient
cantilever beam 110, the striker finger swings slightly beyond the
strike tab. This allows the return spring 60 to pivot the movable
switch contact 54 away from the leaf-spring switch contact 52, i.e.
clockwise about the pivot-support post 56 in FIGS. 3-5 and 10, to
re-close the shutter-flash synchronization switch 18. The movable
switch contact 54 pushes against the switch drive finger 90 on the
L-shaped driver 20 to translate the L-shaped driver in the single
reverse direction 88, which causes the blade-drive posts 74 and 80
to pivot the first and second shutter blades 28 and 34 towards one
another to recover the exposure aperture 36.
[0040] Then, as is known in the prior art a metering cam (not
shown) is manually rotated during film rewinding to return the high
energy lever 102 to its initial or home position by pivoting the
high energy lever clockwise about the pivot-support post 94 in
FIGS. 3-5 and 10 (in opposition to the urging of the horizontal leg
104 of the high energy spring 98). As the striker finger 106 on the
high energy lever 102 is being returned past the strike tab 108 on
the resilient cantilever beam 110, the beam is temporarily or
momentarily deflected or bent to shift the strike tab out of the
way of the striker finger. This is done without moving the L-shaped
driver 20. Once the striker finger 106 is returned past the strike
tab 108, the resilient cantilever beam 110 elastically
straightens.
Interchangeability of the Shutter Blades
[0041] The first and second shutter blades 28 and 34 are exactly
identical to make them readily interchangeable as shown in FIG. 1,
for ease of manufacture of the camera 10. For this purpose, the
first blade 28 has an unused drive slot 112 that is aligned with
and below the pivot hole 26 and the used drive slot 76 in the first
shutter blade, and the second blade 34 has an unused drive slot 114
that is aligned with and below the pivot hole 32 and the used drive
slot 82 in the second shutter blade. See FIGS. 1 and 2. The unused
drive slots 112 and 114 are spaced the same distance from the pivot
holes 26 and 32 as are the used drive slots 76 and 82 spaced from
the pivot holes.
Preventing Shutter-Rebound or Shutter-Bounce
[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1, 9 and 10, the main body part 12 and the
L-shaped driver or slider 20 have parallel similarly-inclined ramp
and follower faces 116 and 118. Preferably, the ramp and follower
faces 116 and 118 are each flat and are each inclined at an acute
angle within the range of 9.degree.-15.degree. (preferably
11.8.degree.). The ramp face 116 serves as a fixed stop for the
L-shaped driver 20 in FIG. 10.
[0043] When the L-shaped driver 20 is translated in the single
reverse direction 88 to cause the blade-drive posts 74 and 80 on
the L-shaped driver to pivot the first and second shutter blades 28
and 34 towards one another to recover the exposure aperture 36, the
follower face 118 on the L-shaped driver is moved to abut against
the ramp face 116 on the main body part 12 as in FIGS. 9-10. The
ramp face 116, in cooperation with the follower face 118, stops the
L-shaped driver 20 and due to its incline tends to urge or cam or
lift the L-shaped driver slightly upward in FIG. 10 to create a
high friction-type relation between the blade-drive post 74 on the
L-shaped driver and a peripheral edge or surface 120 of the
translation-support slot 78 in the face plate 22 and between the
blade drive post 80 on the L-shaped driver and a peripheral edge or
surface 122 of the translation-support slot 84 in the face plate.
The friction-type relation is created because the blade-drive post
74 is urged firmly the peripheral edge 120 and the blade drive post
80 is urged firmly against the peripheral edge 122. This then acts
to impede or retard translation of the L-shaped driver 20 in the
single forward direction 86, that would cause the blade-drive posts
74 and 80 to pivot the first and second shutter blades 28 and 34
away from one another to unintentionally uncover the exposure
aperture 36. Thus, there can be no shutter-round or
shutter-bounce.
[0044] The invention has been described in detail with particular
reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be
understood that variations and modifications can be effected within
the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the
single-piece driver 20 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with an optional
driver-support post 124 that projects forward to rest on the face
plate 22. The driver-support post 124 is slightly shorter than the
blade-drive posts 74 and 80 on the single-piece driver 20.
* * * * *